Road chair



W. E. WHITE Dec. 4, 1934.

ROAD CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 9, 1931 vii/Q6 Dec. 4, 1934. w.E. WHITE 1,982,714

ROAD CHAIR Filed Jan. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 4, 1934ROAD CHAIR William E. White, Chicago, Ill., assignorto Kalman SteelCompany, Chicago, Ill., a corpora tion of Delaware Application January9,

6 Claims.

My invention relates to an accessory for road building and particularlyto a novel support for the reinforcing bars used in pavements.

In concrete pavements as now designed, the outer edge is reinforced withone or more bars extending longitudinally and embedded in the concreteapproximately six inches from the side edge. The problem of supportingthe bars in the correct position prior to and during the pouring of theconcrete has heretofore remainedunsolved. To insure stability instructures used for that purpose, the common expedient has been adaptedof providing a prong intended to be drivon into the soil, but thevariability of soils from soft sand to hard clay renders such supportsuncertain. Other objections include instability un-.

der the impact of the mass of poured concrete, cost of construction,impediment to flow of concrete, and labor of installing. Theseobjections have been overcome in the structure here disclosed. Theinvention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of a blank, showing the die op: eration necessary toproduce two, duplicate chairs;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a completed chair;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of. a side form and bar showing the relationof the chair thereto; and

Figs. 4' and 5 are perspective views of slightly modified forms of thechair shown in Fig. 2.

A chair such as contemplated is installed in the position shown in Fig.3, the letter A indicating the form used to define the lateral edge ofthe pave ment, While the reinforcing bar is indicated at B. The chair Cis of novel form and is constructed by the simple operations that willnow be described.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a fiat rectangular section of metal adapted tobe acted upon by a cutting die and severed along the full lines shown inthat figure. This results in waste of the cut-out parts indicated by.theletter X and the production of two complete, identical blanks. This maybe clearly seen by inverting the drawing containing Fig. 1.

After the die operation, the blanks are bent along the dotted lines 10,11 of Fig. l and ribbed as at 12, 13, 14 of Fig.2, thus producing thefinished article shown in that view.

This article comprises a relatively broad flat base 15, the baseincluding the portion 16 that normally occupieda portion of the spacebeneath the narrow brace 17. Thus the structure is stable having baseportions on both sides of the stand- 1931, Serial No. 507,656

ard or post 18. The standard has a seat 19 in its upper end for the 'barB and is reinforced by the "angular flange 20 thatextends verticallyalong the outer edge. The flange is continued upwardly beyond the seatto provide a tongue 21 adapted to be hammeredover the bar B, as shown inFig. 3. The braceextends diagonally downwardly from the upper end of thestandard, terminating in a portion 22 having a vertical shoulder 23, thefunction of which, as best shown in Fig. 3, is to abut the lower edge ofthe form and provide a certain gauge for spacing the bar from theouter'edge of the pavement. The base is continued laterally beyond thepart 22 to provide a portion 24 adapted to be projected beneath theform. Thus when the chair is installed, it is held in position not onlyby its own stability, but by the weight of the form resting on the base.

The construction of Fig. 4 is the same as that already described, exceptthat I provide a prong 25 at the corner of the standard. In cases wherethe user insists on some means for anchoring that end of the-chair, sucha prong may be easily 1 formed.

The structure of Fig. 5 is likewise identical with that of Fig. 2 exceptthat I provide an additional seat 26 for use where a double row of barsis. required. This seat includes an additional tongue 27 adapted to bebent over a bar as already de scribed.

The stability of the chair is assured regardless of the character of thesubsoil, and the operation of placing it in position is quicklyperformed. The broad, fiat base has the added function of insuringstability during the operation of pouring the concrete. The impact oftheplastic mass settles the chair firmly into place and the weight of theconcrete on the base avoids the possibility of lifting the bar and chairwhich frequently oc curs if the chair is not securely anchored. Theskeleton character of the chair insures the free fiow of concrete andthe complete imbedment of the bar. a

The construction of the chairs is such that nesting is possible, a dozenor more being nested and tied for easy handling. The strength of thedevice is relatively great in proportion to the weight of the materialemployed and the small amount of waste involved in the formingoperation, is a point of advantage in the construction cost. 1

I claim: 1. A road chair consisting of a section of sheet metal having arelatively broad flat base and a perpendicular post provided with a barseat in 3. A road chair including a flat base and a vertical standard atone end, the upper end of the standard providing a seat for a bar, anintegral brace extending from the upper end of the stand1 ard to theopposite end offtheibase, the l'braoe constituting a spacing gauge "forpositioning the bar relative to a form. I

4. A road chair including a fiat base and-a vertical standard at oneend, the upper endof the standard providing a seat for a bar, an in-:tegrala brace extending-from the upper-endorthe standard to theopposite end of the base, the .-:bra=ce constituting ,a spacing ggaugetor positioning the bar relative to a form, said base having a portionextending beyond said brace and adapted to underlie a form.

5. A road chair formed from a single section of sheet metal withoutconnecting operations, comprising a flat base, a standard rising fromthe base said standard havingan angular. side flange theupper end ofwhichprovides a'bar-holding tongue, and a narrow brace in the plane ofthe metal "of the standard, extending diagonally from the upper end ofthe standard to the base.

6. A road chair formed from a single section of sheet metal withoutconnecting operations, comprising avflat base, a standard rising fromthe 'basersaid standard having an angular side flange the upper end ofwhich provides a bar-holding tongue, and a narrow brace in the plane ofthe metal of the standard, extending diagonally from the upper end ofthe standard to the base, the metal originally in the space beneath thebrace remaining as a part of thebase.

WILLIAM WHITE.

